1. Related Applications
This application is related to application Ser. No. 09/063,278, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,812 entitled: "REELEX II Winding Coils with Large Payout Hole and Tube for Twistless Payout", filed Apr. 21, 1998 and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. The subject matter of that application is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to payout tubes for guiding filamentary material through a payout hole extending from the outer wind to the inner wind of a coil of filamentary material wound in a figure 8 wind, and in particular to such payout tubes made from corrugated fiber or plastic material and which have an oval, diamond, elliptical or round shape with an oversized opening to accommodate CAT 5, CAT 6 and CAT 7 cables for kinkless unwinding from the inner coil to the outer coil of the wound material. The invention is also useful in improving the payout of filamentary material other than CAT 5, CAT 6 and CAT 7. i.e. all filamentary material.
Some of the payout tubes are made of molded plastic, some are made of molded paper pulp and some are made of corrugated fiberboard.
3. Related Art
Payout tubes for performing the function of guiding filamentary material through payout holes in wound coils are known to the art. The structure of such payout tubes is represented by the following patents all of which are assigned to the same assignee as the present application, and wherein:
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,607 entitled "Guide Device for Use in Elongate Filament Dispensing Package and the Like" discloses a tubular guide device inserted radially into a payout hole in a wound coil and through a hole in a carton containing the wound coil and includes means for securing the guide device to the carton.
(2) U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,853 and entitled "Guide and Support Members for Unwinding Flexible Material from a Wound Package" discloses specially shaped cones adapted to extend into the inner opening of the payout tube to prevent tangles and birdnesting as the filamentary material is unwound from the coil.
(3) U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,203 entitled "Package of Flexible Material with Oval Payout Tube" discloses an oval shaped payout tube that is inserted in the normal diamond-shaped payout hole of the wound coil.
(4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,399 entitled "Screw-in Tube with Breakable Tabs for Coil of Flexible Material with Inner End Payout" discloses a payout tube with spaced flanges for engaging the wall of the container retaining the wound coil and with the opposite end of the payout tube from the flanges being inserted into the radial payout hole of the wound coil.
(5) U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,315 entitled "Package of Flexible Material for Twistless Payout with Wide Funnel Guide" discloses the outer end of the payout tube shaped as a funnel.